Chapter 80
In the original story, Doyul and Young-joo first meet in the Central Plains.
When Jo Young-joo steps into the Northern Sea Province, it is when she comes as a bride to Doyul and enters as a high-ranking official…
‘Marriage with Doyul.’
For some reason, that phrase pricked her heart.
Yerin, trying to ignore that pain, nonchalantly replied, “No. It was a necessary subjugation as the one in charge of governing the Northern Sea Province.”
“Does that mean… you’re the Lady of the Northern Ice Palace?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Yerin nodded.
‘As expected!’
Young-joo’s eyes sparkled.
At the same time, Yerin asked a question.
“But why did the lady from Jo Yangpyo Kingdom come here?”
“Oh, that.”
Just a moment ago, Young-joo had been visibly scared, but now she straightened her shoulders and looked Yerin in the eyes.
Clutching her fists tightly.
“I came to establish a branch of Jo Yangpyo Kingdom’s Northern Sea Province. Is that possible?”
“What?”
Wait, suddenly proposing a business deal here?
Yerin was genuinely bewildered.
In this gruesome place littered with the bodies of bandits…?
The story Young-joo shared with Yerin went something like this:
Young-joo had been closely observing the recent stabilization of the Northern Sea Province.
Steady trade was happening, centered around Suluchu transactions, and the economy was undeniably more active than before.
Moreover, fundamentally, the Yangpyo Kingdom was a transportation company that safely flew goods.
In other words, as the economy became more active, the workload for the Yangpyo Kingdom increased.
“The Northern Sea Province is like a gemstone mine.”
Young-joo spoke with passionate enthusiasm.
“Moreover, people still haven’t fully recognized its value here.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! That’s why we want to be the first Yangpyo Kingdom to start business operations in the Northern Sea Province.”
In the original work, Young-joo was a character with a lot of ambition. Despite being born into a good family, she could have lived comfortably without a stain on her fingers. Nevertheless, operating a branch of the Yangpyo Kingdom proved her bold personality.
“But meeting both the Lord of the Palace and the Lady of the Northern Ice Palace here, and even having my life saved…”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Isn’t this meeting itself fate?”
Young-joo gathered her hands over her chest, her eyes sparkling like stars as she looked at Yerin.
Yerin couldn’t help feeling awkward.
“F-Fate?”
“Yes! Yes! The fate that the Northern Sea Province and Jo Yangpyo Kingdom can mutually prosper!”
Hey, didn’t you refer to them as the Lord of the Palace and the Lady of the Northern Ice Palace earlier?
Why do you keep looking at me…?
Yerin found Young-joo’s passionate gaze uncomfortable.
However.
‘The proposal itself doesn’t sound bad.’
Jo Yangpyo Kingdom was one of the notable transportation companies even in the Central Plains. In the original work, it provided crucial assistance to Doyul.
“I’ll talk with the Lord of the Palace for a moment and come back.”
“Yes, I’ll wait!”
Young-joo nodded with a cool expression.
As Yerin was about to leave her seat, she sighed and turned to Young-joo.
“Well, aside from that, how about getting into the carriage?”
“Yes?”
“It seems a bit too harsh for a young soldier like you to witness.”
While saying this, Yerin glanced discreetly at the traces of the battle.
The bodies of the bandits had been roughly cleared away, but the lingering signs of the intense fight were not a pleasant sight.
Then, Young-joo blushed.
“Ar-are you considering me right now?”
For some reason, her cheeks seemed to flush.
“No, why are your cheeks turning red?”
Yerin felt puzzled.
This won’t do.
It seems that I should distance myself a bit from the burdensome female lead.
“Well then, take a rest.”
“Yes!”
Like a chick, Young-joo chirped and crawled into the carriage.
The guards kept a firm watch around her.
Once they confirmed Young-joo’s safety, Yerin shook her head and went to find Doyul.
—
“…So, considering the situation, what do you think, Lord of the Palace?”
After the explanation of the current situation, Yerin sought Doyul’s opinion.
Doyul subtly narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve heard of the Jo Yangpyo Kingdom before.”
“Oh, really?”
Yerin reflected on that.
Doyul nodded.
“It’s a renowned kingdom even in the Central Plains.”
“Are you saying…”
“If they establish themselves in the North Ice Castle, it doesn’t seem like a problem for us. However…”
However?
Yerin tilted her head.
“You mentioned Lady Youngjoo, right?”
“The lady from the Jo Yangpyo Kingdom?”
Even as she asked, Yerin felt a bit bitter.
Oh, I’m the male lead who has been raised with love.
Is it natural for my feelings to go to the female lead according to the flow of the original story?
But then.
“I don’t quite like that lady.”
Huh?
Yerin doubted her ears.
Wait, isn’t this about the female lead not being liked?
“Why is that?”
“That… that lady.”
Doyul, who had hesitated for a moment, awkwardly continued.
“Why does that soldier look at her with such an intense gaze?”
“What?”
“The way he looks at her is uncomfortable. It’s awkward.”
…This reason seems a bit strange.
With a suspicious expression, Yerin looked at Doyul, and decided to wrap up her own business.
“Anyway, it seems that having Jo Yangpyo Kingdom in North Ice Castle is acceptable, right?”
“Yes.”
Doyul responded with a plump face.
Honestly, the delicate feelings between the male and female leads… ‘It’s just impossible to understand,’ Yerin thought.
She sighed, shaking off those thoughts, and returned to Youngjoo.
“Madam!”
Youngjoo, who had been waiting for Yerin, lifted her head brightly.
Yerin smiled reassuringly, as if to say everything was fine.
“His Grace also approves of Jo Yangpyo Kingdom coming to North Ice Castle.”
“R-really?”
Joy spread across Youngjoo’s face.
Good, it’s working.
In an attempt to gain some points with the female lead, Yerin decided to use a bit of kindness.
“To make your journey to North Ice Castle more comfortable, we’ll assign someone to assist you.”
Youngjoo, however, showed an unexpected reaction.
“…You’ll assign someone to help?”
She didn’t seem as delighted as expected; instead, her expression turned somewhat gloomy.
“Yes. That person will explain everything properly to Lord Jaengwonju.”
“I see…”
“To ensure Jo Yangpyo Kingdom settles well in North Ice Castle, we’re willing to offer various forms of assistance!”
Yerin hastily explained.
‘Why is she reacting like this again?’
At the same time, Youngjoo looked at Yerin with a calm gaze.
“Then… Won’t you be going to North Ice Castle, Madam?”
Huh? Why is she asking me?
Yerin felt puzzled but decided to respond sincerely.
“Oh, no. We’re heading to the Murim League, you see.”
“….”
In response, Youngjoo shrugged her shoulders.
Why is she acting like this? Yerin couldn’t fathom the reason.
A moment later.
Youngjoo’s lips, which had just closed, cautiously opened again.
“Then, may I go with you?”
“What?”
Yerin thought it might be a joke, but Youngjoo’s face was very serious.
‘Is the female lead really suggesting to follow us?’
Cautiously choosing her words, Yerin, who had been sweating nervously, replied, “But, Youngjoo, don’t you have duties as a soldier of Jo Yangpyo Kingdom?”
“Oh no! Hwang Ajusshi will take care of that in my place!”
Wait, who is this Hwang Ajusshi?
“Oh my, Miss. Have you finally changed your mind?”
At that moment, a person referred to as ‘Hwang Ajusshi’ butted into the conversation.
“Well done, Miss!”
“Is that so, Hwang Ajusshi?”
“That’s right! Since Lord Hwang will handle it for you!”
Wait, who is Lord Hwang?
“Miss, why would you stay in North Ice Castle, so far away?”
‘Something seems off.’
Yerin became extremely cautious with her eyes.
On the other hand, this person called ‘Hwang Ajusshi’ looked relieved.
“Lord Jo Yangpyo will appreciate it. When he insisted several times, you didn’t listen!”
‘Now that I think about it.’
The precious daughter of the Jo Yangpyo Kingdom, walking all the way to North Ice Castle, seemed odd.
It appeared she hadn’t received permission from her father and had seized the opportunity.
Taking the chance, the man referred to as ‘Hwang Ajusshi’ repeatedly bowed to Yerin.
“It’s a rude request, but please take care of our precious Miss.”
“That’s…”
“Since Miss insists on coming all this way, we don’t know how much Lord Jo Yangpyo worried about her.”
‘Hwang Ajusshi’ was a middle-aged man who seemed at least 30 years older than Yerin.
Feeling uncomfortable with the man’s earnest request, Yerin couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“Moreover, this time, Miss’s life was saved by North Ice Castle.”
“It wasn’t exactly a life-threatening situation…”
“It’s not just a favor!”
‘Hwang Ajusshi’ said firmly.
“If you bring Miss with you, Lord Jo Yangpyo will surely reward you handsomely.”
Of course, it would be like that.
As one of the top Jo Yangpyo Kingdoms in Central Region, the size of that reward would undoubtedly be immense.
Hwang Ajusshi added one more thing.
“Besides, Jo Yangpyo Kingdom is located in Hangju! The route is the same as yours!”
“But we need to arrive as quickly as possible.”
Yerin subtly tried to detach Youngjoo from the conversation.
“If we follow our schedule, the journey will be quite exhausting…”
“Don’t worry! I’m fine with camping!”
Youngjoo, who had been listening to the conversation, chimed in.
“I won’t be a burden on the trip!”
“Still…”
“Really, really!”
“…”
Youngjoo stared at Yerin with twinkling eyes.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is Sid. I hope you liked it<3
Next post will be released on February, 15.
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